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Opioid Epidemic Statistics

Opioid epidemic statistics remain essential forms of data that various public health agencies collect to address the growing opioid abuse problem. Opioid use reflected in U.S. statistics show us how the issue of opioid abuse has grown. Understanding opioid epidemic statistics helps pave the way toward finding solutions to a problem that has cost countless lives and billions of dollars. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention(CDC) runs many surveillance programs to gather opioid epidemic statistics that shed light on this continuing problem. Their goal is that it may one day be solved and helping those suffering to find the opioid rehab program they need. Call us today at 844.875.5609 for more about opioid addiction treatment.

Prescription and Synthetic Opioids and Opioid Epidemic

Opioids help relieve pain after surgery or for an acute injury or a chronic and painful condition. Prescription opioids remain beneficial when prescribed because they offer pain relief for short periods. However, with misuse or overuse, they can lead to addiction and increased tolerance. According to the CDC, prescription opioids were the cause of death for nearly 218,000 people from 1999-2017.

Synthetic opioids are manufactured laboratory drugs, both legitimate and illegal. These drugs are generally much more potent than are opioids, which are naturally occurring. They’re also much more dangerous because they are often sold illegally and in doses that are not well controlled. In 2017 alone, synthetic opioids were responsible for more than 28,000 deaths in the U.S. This means that more deaths were caused by synthetic opioids than by any other type. Many people suffering from these types of addiction may also want to see an opioid detox center to rid your body’s dependence on the drug with a followed regime of treatment.

The Costs of Opioid Epidemic

The cost of opioid abuse is very high in terms of both human and economic costs. The CDC estimates that the annual cost of prescription opioid abuse alone in the U.S. is over $78 billion per year. It has also found that about 130 Americans die every single day from overdoses of opioid drugs. Opioid abuse burdens our healthcare system, our criminal justice system, and our economy in terms of lost production. Sadly, it also creates broken homes and countless social problems.

Also, the prescribing of opioids does not solve the many underlying health problems that cause pain in many individuals and creates a new problem by leading to addiction. For example, patients with lower back pain benefit much more in the long run from treatment programs that involve physical therapy than they do from a prescription for opioid drugs. Seeking out a pain management program after facing an opioid addiction can help you better treat the underlying causes of pain.

What Is Being Done to Solve The Opioid Epidemic

The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services and the National Institutes of Health are essential organizations that both focus on finding solutions and provide useful opioid statistics for research. Efforts continue to be made to increase public health surveillance to better understand the causes of opioid addiction.

Support for the study is being done to increase our understanding of the mechanisms behind pain relief and addiction. Among healthcare practitioners like emergency room physicians and primary care doctors, new practice protocols are being introduced for pain management that employ measures other than the prescription of opioid drugs.

Opioid Addiction Treatment

Opioid addiction treatment is an evidence-based approach to treating opioid use disorder. It includes a range of medications and therapies designed to help individuals reduce or stop using opioids, manage withdrawal symptoms, and prevent relapse.

Treatment typically involves a combination of medication-assisted treatment (MAT), psychotherapy, supportive services, and lifestyle changes. The goal of opioid addiction treatment is to:

  • Help individuals restore their physical and mental health
  • Find a meaningful purpose in life
  • Begin living an opioid-free lifestyle

With the right treatment and support, it is possible to overcome opioid addiction.

Opioid addiction treatment may be provided in an outpatient setting, a residential program, or a combination of both. In outpatient programs, individuals attend therapy sessions and receive medication-assisted treatment on a regular basis. Residential programs involve monitored living in a facility with 24/7 support from medical professionals and peers.

Get Help With Opioid Addiction Today

Are you interested in learning more about opioid addiction and opioid statistics? If so, then call Promises Behavioral Health to learn more about our recovery programs. We offer a variety of different drug treatment programs to help you recover. Becoming educated and informed about opioid addiction is one of the most important ways you can learn to keep yourself and your family free of addiction and aware of the many other treatment options for pain.  Call us at 844.875.5609 or reach out online and take advantage of our educational resources.

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